The Lactate Threshold - Reality or Fallacy?

For many years exercise science has perpetuated the concept of a lactate threshold - a point during exercise where a sudden, sharp increase is noted in the concentration of lactate in the blood. This phenomenon is supposedly noticed when blood samples are taken from subjects performing incremental to max exercise tests much the same as a VO2 max test. Traditionally, it has been noted that when concentration of lactate is plotted against running speed (or %VO2 max) on a graph, as the individual runs faster the quantity of lactate in the blood remains constant up to a certain speed, after which a sudden inflection in the gradient occurs. This inflection point has been dubbed the lactate threshold - the point during intense exercise where the muscles become increasingly anaerobic, generating vast quantities of lactate. Therefore, this phenomenon has also become known as the anaerobic or ventilation threshold.

As discussed in an earlier article on lactate featured on this website, early exercise scientists (and even some present day ones) attributed the increasing amounts of lactate in the blood during exercise to a lack of oxygen supplied to the muscles. This theory holds that the cardiorespiratory system must be inefficient at matching blood (oxygen) supply to the muscles and exercise intensity. Therefore, as the intensity of exercise increases, the muscles have to rely increasingly on "oxygen independent" (anaerobic) metabolism and its associated lactate generation. What these researchers failed to understand, or were unaware of was that as the intensity level (power output) of exercise progressively increases, there is a corresponding increase in the dependence of the glycolytic energy system. It is now universally accepted that energy systems are exercise intensity dependent. As explained in the previous article on lactate, this accumulation of lactate is a necessary consequence to maintain the increased flow of energy through the glycolytic pathway.

Tim Noakes at the University of Cape Town, South Africa states that it is highly unlikely that the muscles ever become truly anaerobic. He provides some powerful evidence to back up this statement and quite possibly the most convincing might be what he calls the "lactate paradox". In his studies of the results of several research papers on Everest climbing expedition experiments, Noakes noted that lactate accumulation in the blood actually decreased as attitude increased. This finding is the exact opposite of what one would traditionally expect since as altitude increases, the ambient barometric pressure decreases, as does the relative availability of oxygen in the inspired air. Therefore, one would suspect that near the peak of Everest, the exercising muscles must be truly anaerobic and generating large amounts of lactate but as mentioned previously, this does not occur. Professor Noakes explains that at such an extreme altitude, some internally regulated factor (possibly the brain) severely limits the intensity of exercise to protect the heart therefore also limiting the amount of lactate production. Additional research, has demonstrated that even at rest under more than adequate oxygen availability, muscles generate lactate. Furthermore, other researchers have failed to find conclusive evidence that muscles become anaerobic at exercise intensities approaching the lactate threshold or even during maximal exercise. Therefore, Noakes prefers to refer to anaerobic metabolism as "oxygen independent" metabolism since in his astute opinion there exists no such thing as anaerobic muscle.

Noakes dismisses the probability of a sudden increase in lactate concentration. He explains that if too few blood samples are taken - say for every three or four kilometers per hour increase, then when the rise in lactate is actually observed, it may indeed show a precipitous "jump" from the one observation to the next. If samples are taken more frequently however, say at every speed increment, then the increase is much more gradual, producing a smoother logarithmic or hyperbolic curve. Dr. Noakes indicates that lactate buildup during increasingly intense exercise is the result of its production rate exceeding its clearance. As mentioned in our article,Lactate is NOT the Culprit!, Brook's lactate shuttle is purported as being responsible for assisting with the transport, utilization and clearance of lactate during exercise. At lower exercise intensity levels, the rate of lactate clearance is able to match the rate of production. However, as exercise becomes increasingly more intense and more muscle mass is recruited, proportionately large quantities of lactate are produced, but it is unlikely that clearance via the shuttle will be able to maintain pace. Therefore, there exists a speed or intensity level at which the production of lactate surpasses its clearance and the blood concentration begins to steadily increase. This point is what Noakes prefers to call for lack of a better word - the "lactate turnpoint" and that it occurs at an intensity/speed where the concentration of lactate in the blood is approximately 3.0 mmol/L. If the individual were to run at this constant speed, this would be called running at the subjects "lactate steady state". In theory this is the fastest speed that can be maintained by the exerciser for extended periods of time such as marathon running.

Therefore, from discussions in this and previous articles, it is safe to conclude that lactate production in the body is the direct result of an increased reliance on the glycolytic energy systems, not from a lack of oxygen in the muscles. Paired with this increased use of oxygen independent metabolism is an increase in lactate production. The sudden jump in lactate production simply does not exist; it increases proportionally with the increased exercise intensity or power output. In addition, it should be obvious that the term anaerobic threshold is a misnomer and that perhaps the only appropriate term to refer to this phenomenon is the lactate turnpoint.

References and further reading: more information on the concept oxygen independent metabolism and the lactate turnpoint may be found in Lore of Running - a classic book in its fourth edition dedicated not only to running performance, but to cutting edge exercise physiology as well.

David Petersen is a Personal Trainer/Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and the owner and founder of B.O.S.S. Fitness Inc. based in Oldsmar, Florida. More articles and information can be found at http://www.bossfitness.com

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When it comes to choosing a cross-trainer or stationary exercise machine, there are a few things you will need to be on the lookout for if you are going to purchase one you will enjoy using for some time. Many people think choosing a stationary exercise machine is easy and you need to find one at your price point, but there are many other factors to consider. Let us go over what some of these are so you can shop wisely.

When it comes to keeping your progress intact where your workout sessions are concerned, there is one thing you will want to focus on, and that is healthy amino acid supplementation. Most people are already aware of the importance of protein powder for enhancing their results. Also, protein powder is an excellent addition to any diet plan and something you need to think about adding on a regular basis. However, beyond that, certain amino acids also play critical roles in your progress, and if these are overlooked you could be missing out on several benefits. One particular amino acid that seems to be especially important is L-Leucine. What does it do and why should you take it? Let us look at this in greater detail.

If you are planning on becoming healthier and improve your overall well-being, it should come as no surprise to know exercise is one of the most critical factors for your success. However, what many people do not realize is exercise also boosts brain health. It is going to do so much more for you than help ensure you can keep your weight in a healthy range and protect your heart. It will also keep your mind sound as well.

If you are a person who has set a new goal and seriously plans to achieve it, there are a few steps you must take to ensure the best results. How can you guarantee you will put your best foot forward as much as you should? Having a solid game plan is an absolute must. You cannot get from point A to point B without clear-cut directions, so that is what this is all about. Here are a four important tips to keep in mind.

When I want to start or create something that I have never done before- be it exercise or something that calls for growth, development, and consistency- I find that it is important for me to take a look at the whole picture and then take bite-size pieces that I create instead of trying to figure out. Why not figure out? Well, I can only figure out things I have done before.

If you are someone who is interested in getting fit and improving your heart health, walking, jogging, or running might be a natural choice for you. Many people find one of these to be a perfect way to help improve their health and they go on to do so, seeing great results. But, if you are currently using your treadmill and not seeing ideal results, you need to ask yourself "why is this?" What could be preventing you from seeing the success you desire? The answer is often a few simple things.

Improve conditioning, increase muscle development and propel your physique to new heights! While these moves may seem better suited for the playground, they're actually beneficial to those of us a few years beyond playtime.

After nearly 40 years of regularly exercising, this senior exerciser discovered 4 little words that serve as his motivational mantra. Perhaps this little hint can help you get your exercise program going, and, more importantly, keep it going.

Answers To Frequently Asked Questions On Building A Broader Back How would you define your back training? If you've been pushing the weights for a while, you've probably discovered that certain bodyparts are rather stubborn.

Shoulders are one of those rare body parts that are often both overtrained and undertrained. Allow me to explain: With delts playing a part in all chest pressing movements, it's easy for them to be overtrained and so come up short when shoulders are worked.

Here are the best principles for arm training: Overload Principle, Cheating Principle, Forced Reps Principle, Descending Sets Principle, and Rest-Pause Principle. In order to force a muscle to become larger and stronger, you must continually overload it with increasingly heavier weights.

When it is time for a cardio session, what do you typically do? If you are like many people when working out, you hop on the machine and begin exercising. There is not much thought put into it; you have done this a hundred times before so you know how the process goes. However, next time you have a workout planned, you may want to slow down and think about what you are doing a little more. Here are four checks to make to help you know what you are doing during your cardio workouts. They will help you to get better results.

While most men spend much of their workout time focusing on the muscles above the waist (chest, arms, back), let's face it, ladies are often more concerned about the parts below the waist. Whether you want to run faster, get stronger or look absolutely killer in a short skirt, your leg work probably takes up a big part of your time in the gym.

For many people, hitting the gym is very challenging. It takes time away from your busy schedule and often you are too tired in the first place. However, what you need to remember is exercise does not necessarily have to take place in the gym. There are many ways to fit in a great workout session without even stepping foot in a commercial gym establishment. All you need to do is get your heart rate up. Do this, and you will be burning calories, strengthening muscles, and seeing results.

It is true; exercise is good for you. Physical activity will lower your blood sugar and is beneficial to your heart. But what do you think is the best way to lose body fat? Is it to go for a long run? Many people hold this notion. Moreover, it is quite understandable considering many realize to lose weight; you have to burn more calories. What better way to burn calories than to go for a run? However, there are some factors you may be overlooking that could be preventing you from seeing the results you are hoping for.

Strength training has emerged as being a powerful diabetes prevention strategy over recent years. As people age, the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes rises partly because of the loss of muscle mass. Muscle is the body's leading clearinghouse for blood sugar and accounts for roughly 75% disposal of sugar. Strength training is the most effective type of exercise for building muscle. A body strengthening regimen can be accomplished with two one-hour sessions each week. You could train in a gym or your home. If you are someone who loves doing home workouts, one thing you might be considering purchasing is adjustable dumbbells. Adjustable dumbbells are dumbbells that allow you to change the weight without having to change the dumbbell. They can be great space savers, and it seems, would make perfect sense for that at home workout.

A walking exercise will benefit your health many ways. Exercise and a physical activity are good activities for just about everyone. There are four main activity types and each type has a different movement. Walking will give you many of these excellent benefits.

Walking is a terrific exercise for any one that needs to do an activity. This is one that is a great one for any one that must do an activity. Walking is a great sport for anyone but the 40 plus community it is great.

Are you trying to follow a workout routine and are unable to do so because of a hectic schedule? Many of us find it a bit of a challenge to follow a workout regime because we are so entangled and caught up in our daily routines that we are unable to make extra time. Often it is when we fall ill, or when the doctor orders us to insert a workout session in our lives every day for at least an hour; then we realize its significance.

If you are someone hoping to make improvements in your health, there is no question adding more activity to your day is on your list of "things" to do. No matter how you look at it, a mobile body is healthier than one that is immobile, and as the saying goes: "a body in motion stays in motion." Often the hardest part of being more mobile is getting the process started. So this said, what can you do to ensure you are not sitting around? How can you become one of those people who naturally craves exercise? It is not as hard as you may think.

As you go about your workout program, one aspect you will want to keep in mind is how your recovery is progressing along. Recovery is something that is a constant effort and must always be monitored for the best results. If you are not recovering, you will pay the price. You will not see the strength progression you are after; you will not be feeling your best, and you may even come to hate the process of working out altogether. The good news is recovery is something you can work at improving. When you understand a few fundamental concepts, the process becomes much more comfortable.

In this day and age, when we are all running round the clock to meet deadlines, some very simple tips might help you reach that place of fitness that you always wished you could be at. These tips are outlined in this article.

Foam rolling was once a technique used by professional athletes and coaches. Nowadays it is an everyday practice for people at all levels of fitness. So as you go about your recovery strategies after working out, one of the main techniques you may want to consider utilizing is foam rolling. It is now one of the fastest and most effective ways to work on those tired muscles and help prevent injury.

In recent years battle ropes have started popping up in gyms, and not just the CrossFit / Functional type gyms! As you've probably gathered from many of my workout videos I'm a big fan of battle rope exercises - I even have one set up in my garden! So why am I such a big fan!?

As you hit the gym to improve your fitness level which in turn will then improve your blood sugar sensitivity and go on to enhance your Type diabetes management, you will want to consider adding squats as one of the main exercises you choose to complete. Few other tasks are going to be as beneficial as the squat. This exercise is a compound movement pattern that will help ensure you are putting sufficient amounts of stress on all the lower body muscles.

When most people hit the gym, they have goals in mind like improving their strength, burning fat, or increasing their muscularity. But what about speed? If you are an athlete or even if you are just an everyday individual, improving your speed should be a goal no matter what gym routine you go through or which sport you play. What do you need to do to become faster? What type of speed training should you perform?

P90X If you haven't heard of it, is an exciting fitness journey. It is challenging to be sure but it adjusts to your level of fitness. Tony Horton, the creator of P90X says, "do what you can" even as he goes through something that maybe you can't touch. "Do what you can, do as much as you can," and soon you'll be doing it all. This is the P90X mantra.

If there is one injury that will slow your workout down in a hurry, it is tendonitis. Different types of tendonitis affect various parts of the body and is a condition where the tissue connecting muscle to the bone becomes inflamed. Common causes include a sudden injury, or the repetition of a movement over time. Tendonitis is typically considered to be an overuse injury, so the most common means of treatment includes taking a rest from the activity that aggravated it. Depending on the location of the tendonitis though, this can be challenging.

Although there are still many children who are physically active, more and more children surf the Internet or play video games before participating in physical activities. As technology advances, it becomes more entertaining for children and they become less active. Exercise is not only important for adults, it also benefits children in many ways.

When it comes to exercise, many people do just fine. Not everyone has an inactive lifestyle. Some people have a job where they are on their feet for most or all of the day. Others play a sport every week because it is a hobby and they enjoy it: so they are regularly active. Some people are gym rats and are in and out of the gym on several days of the week. Not surprisingly, exercise can be addictive. It brings on a positive mood and a surge in energy levels while doing well for the body.

If you are excited about your workout program and are managing to get in the exercises you need, one muscle group you do not want to forget is the traps or trapezius muscles. While many men are aware well-developed traps can completely transform their look; many women shy away from trap building exercises. But you must remember, the traps are not only sitting above the neck. The trapezius muscles will also be running down the center of your back and into the lower back to a slight degree; thus they can transform your look overall.

Struggling to exercise? You are not alone. Millions of adults are in the same position as you. You know you should exercise, and your doctor has suggested it several times. Your health may be suffering because of a lack of activity, and you are in a position where exercising will confer vital benefits to you. A workout program is more important to you now than ever before. It is easy to procrastinate or overlook physical activity in your 20's and 30's. But it catches up to you sooner or later.

"As soon as the month is over." "At the start of the New Year." "Once my projects are done, and I have more free time." "After this weekend." The variety of excuses for postponing an exercise plan are endless. You have probably heard at least a hundred variations. You may be guilty of some of them yourself. If so, how many of those times can you say with confidence you stuck to your plan? Did you end up exercising after procrastinating for longer than you should have?

If you are someone who has always wanted to be a jogger but has not had the right plan to get started, that is all about to change. It is not hard to start jogging. You need a program to help ease you into it, making sure you do not begin to overtrain, become sore and achy, or wind up getting burnt out and end up disliking the idea of jogging altogether. As with any exercise routine, slow and steady is the key. Too many people who start jogging begin by doing too much, too soon and end up sidelined.

Many people, including myself, were unsure about lifting weights in public in fear that their form wasn't correct. I took a weight lifting class last semester and it completely changed my confidence with lifting and I am writing this pillar article to help those of you that have been in that position. If you are not lifting with the correct form, you will be missing out on the benefits that lifting has to offer.

Physical activity is not only done for healthy body and mind but also to achieve success in different fields. Practising workouts personally may not be fruitful due to lack of professional knowledge. Therefore physical fitness trainer must be hired to perform exercise in the correct way and reach some specific goals in life.

When you hit the gym, do you feel confident you are doing everything you can to see the best results? Do you feel like you are in there with the knowledge and know-how to create a workout you feel great about? If you have any doubts, these tips are for you. It is essential you are aware of some of the most prominent mistakes people make so you can side-step these yourself. Here are some of the main ones to consider.

With the unofficial start of summer at the end of this month, many begin to think about starting to exercise before putting on a bathing suit and hitting the beach or pool. Exercise is of course helpful for weight management and building muscles and can improve physical appearance.

If you are in your 40's, 50's or beyond, you may be wondering what this means for your workout program. Can you still do the workouts you have always done? Or will you need to make adjustments? As you get older, there is no question specific changes take place in your body. If you want to continue to stay active into these years, you will need to modify things a little. The good news is if you keep up with your fitness, you will not need to adjust as much, as your body will maintain itself quite well.

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